


Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: The Beautiful Verse [2]
Category: Avengers (Comics), Captain America, Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: M/M, Multi, Stark Spangled Banner - Freeform, Winged Steve, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-13
Packaged: 2017-11-29 04:21:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve likes to dance and sing to music from the 40s as well as songs that sound close to what he's used to. Part of the Beautiful 'verse. Winged!Steve, Stark Spangled Banner and SLASH are included in the fic. Don't read if you're not a fan! Bit of a tribute piece to the artists of the song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

**Author's Note:**

> The last of the Andrew Sisters passed away about a month ago. *sighs* That makes me sad and I will include a little tribute for them. Why are all the good ones gone? They left us some pretty great music.

* * *

Steve always, _always_ waits for all of the Avengers to leave the Mansion before he engages in what he likes to call alone time. For one, it would embarrass the heck out of him if he ever got caught; JARVIS keeps the video for the kitchen away from both Tony and Bruce as a favor to him. He hums as he flicks his wings to the beat of the Andrew Sisters, Elvis and other singers. Baking is on his list of things to do today.

He sorts everything out with a precision he knows the military is to blame for, choosing to make Clint's favorites (snickerdoodles and sugar cookies) first. It's also a guilty pleasure to sing to songs he knows are out of his voice range but he sings anyway. Some of the lyrics bring a blush to his face but he continues anyway, singing, dancing by shaking his hips and mixing up the ingredients.

_"Tarzan and Jane were swinging on a vine_  
Candyman, Candyman   
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine   
Sweet sugar candy man 

_I met him out for dinner on a Friday night_  
He really had me working up an appetite   
He had tattoos up and down his arm   
There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm   
He's one-shop stop, makes the panties drop   
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man   
A sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man 

_Oh yeah_

_He took me to the Spider Club at Hollywood in Vine_  
We drank champagne and we danced all night   
We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise   
The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline 

_He's one-shop stop, makes my cherry pop_  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man   
A sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man 

_Se bop bop Hey yeah_

_He's one-shop stop, makes my cherry pop_  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man   
A sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man 

_Woo yeah_

_Well by now I'm getting all bothered and hot_  
When he kissed my mouth he really hit the spot   
He had lips like sugar cane   
Good thing comes to boys who wait 

_Tarzan and Jane were swinging on a vine_  
Candyman, Candyman   
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine   
Candy man, candy man 

_Sweet sugar candy man_  
He's a one-stop, gotcha hot, making all the panties drop   
Sweet sugar candy man   
He's a one-stop, got me hot, making my uh pop   
Sweet sugar candy man He's a one-stop, get it while it's hot, baby don't stop   
Sweet sugar candy man 

_He's got those lips like sugarcane  
Good things come to boys who wait_

_He's a one-stop shop with a real big uh_  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated Candyman    
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated Candyman    
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated Candyman!" 

He never sings the last part because it reminds him too much of Bucky but enjoys the song nonetheless. Putting the snickerdoodles and sugar cookies into the oven, he goes on to make the rest of the Avenger's favorites, singing different songs to entertain himself and Tony's AIs (who seem to gravitate to him whenever he's singing).

* * *

When they return, Steve's lounging on the couch as though he was up to absolutely nothing for the past few hours.

"Dude, who made the snickerdoodles?" Clint manages around a mouthful.

"Aye. The treats are most appreciated." Thor says after swallowing his own mouthful of strawberry thumb cookies.

"I've been busy catching up on Animal Planet documentaries." he says as Tony snuggles up and offers him a bite of his coffee-caramel mini tart. "Hmm, needs a bit more caramel."

"... How'd you know that?"

"Mam used to make some like that and she'd always add more caramel before she'd bake them." he reasoned, taking the rest of the tart from Tony's fingers with a coy nip.

"Hey!"

"Metabolism." Steve chuckled dryly as he stood up and stretched his wings out in the massive living room. He realized that it'd gone quiet as he folded them back up.

"Wow... Just, holy shit. Those things are huge."

"What part of eighteen and a half feet didn't you catch, Clint?" Bruce muttered as he had a hologram of the wings in front of him. "You said that you haven't seen them fully?"

"I haven't. What's it about?"

"Here." Bruce blew up the image on the movie screen and Steve felt his own jaw drop. Those couldn't possibly be his wings; the colors were amazing and vibrant, each feather glowing slightly in the late afternoon sunlight.

"Damn." Clint whistled lowly, "I mean, you rarely stretch them out that far but they're amazing. You're damned lucky you have those wings instead of me."

"They've caused a lot of trouble in the past. You sure you wanna trade?" Steve says as he takes in the detail of the wings and the barring that runs across the matching feathers. Chocolate bars the deep green of Bruce's feathers; Tony's are gold against red, gleaming argent against arc reactor blue; Natasha's deep red over black; Thor's silver managing to meld with a lighter shade of red; Phil's blue-black and sky blue blending quite well while Clint's managed to be the oddest set. Bucky's feathers are almost hidden against Phil's but still manage to be seen quite nicely.

He reaches back and tugs gently to see he was correct where Bucky's feathers are in relation to the sight before him. It leaves him with a bluejay primary that's nearly the length of his forearm (wrist to elbow). He smiles sadly at the feather before he tucks his wings close and searches for the rest of the Howling Commandoes feathers. They're faint, interwoven into the Avengers as they are and much deeper than he'd thought.

"Oh. Your old group, right?"

"Feels odd not to honor them." he replies quietly as he snags the feathers that remind him of brave men and one woman, pinning them to the board that's just feathers and photos of them. He snaps out his wings and lets them salute his fellow soldiers (he's not stupid to leave Peggy out) before letting them slowly relax once more. He's tempted to leave Howard out of it until he sees Tony's expression that one feather is untouched.

"Is that...?"

"His, yes. He only ever earned the one for flying into enemy territory like an idiot." Tony's eyes, so much like his Father's, take in the single feather that he's refused to take out. "I don't feel like honoring his memory just yet. I haven't forgiven him." The other Avengers retreat back to the kitchen as Tony's eyes soften immensely.

"Haven't forgiven him? For what?"

Steve's smile is bittersweet this time, almost a sneer as he speaks of Howard. "What he did to you, Tony. I'm told I don't hold grudges but when I do, you better watch it. Howard was never a completely good man; terrible with manners, alcohol & women. He was a damned good inventor, brave when it suited him and that was it. Nothing he said to me was ever taken as the truth aside from the shield. I considered the Commandoes my brothers and Peggy as my dame but I damn sure didn't see him that way. I don't know what he told you but he and I were never truly close."

"He idolized you." Tony's tone is venomous but softened by something he'd learned before the Avengers became a team. "Drew me in with stories that you two were bosom buddies and did all these missions together." That made Steve chuckle mirthlessly, bending over to heave in a breath as he continued to howl with laughter.

"He-Hahahahaha-He what?"

"He said you two-"

"Oh, oh that is _priceless_." he sniffs as he regains his composure. Tony looks at him like he's lost it. "We went on all of one mission together, Tony. I still can't forgive him for abandoning a bright child and a wife who clearly adored him. No man should do that."

"You really are perfect, aren't you?" Tony muses as he accepts Steve's embrace.

"It's safe to come out again, it's not like you were all watching it in the kitchen anyway. It's not like I have superhearing or anything." he says over Tony's perpetually messy bed-head. Bruce at least has the grace to look chagrined. The rest of them are completely unembarrassed by their actions and Steve briefly pinches the bridge of his nose. "Not even the least bit ashamed of yourselves, are you? No, don't answer that. I know what to do."

* * *

The weapons are the first to go. He sneaks in with every hint of stealth he has, takes them including the several stashed around various rooms and Mjolnir last as he sets it into a voice-coded lock. Tony's suits aren't touched nor are Bruce's lab equipment (as he'd apologized earlier) knowing Steve would retaliate fairly quickly. Each of the Avengers (which now somehow includes Phil) sit at the breakfast table, glaring down at it and their signature coffee mugs also missing. Tony's slyly sipping out of Steve's as Steve uses Bruce's and Bruce is drinking his chai tea out of Tony's Iron Man cup.

"I'm waiting." he says patiently, catching the senbon needles from Natasha with ease and placing them on the counter behind him. Clint's kunai follow along with Phil's taser charge. Thor sits in his spot and frowns before beaming.

"Friend Steven, Friend Tony my apologies for listening in on what you deemed private."

"JARVIS, release Mjolnir and the coffee mug." The hammer slides along the narrow chute as it makes its way back to its Master. The cup is carefully lowered by an arm and filled with coffee just the way Thor likes it."That wasn't so hard. See?" Phil's expression lights up with understanding as he also offers his sincere apology.

"My apologies as well, Steve, Tony."

"JARVIS." The same thing is repeated until Steve just raises an eyebrow (looking uncannily like Tony for a moment as he does so) before the two assassins crack from lack of coffee.

"We're sorry."

"Sincerely or..."

"We're sorry we listened in on your conversation."

"Very well." he concedes gently, taking the cups himself and preparing them just the way they like it. "Weaponry will be placed on the Go-To table for now but you can have it back once we're done with breakfast. Don't test me again, please."

"You're slightly terrifying now. How the hell did you learn how to do that?" Clint mumbles around his mouthful of bacon.

"My Mam and she learned from Grandma." he retorted without any heat, feeding Bruce and Tony bits of breakfast in-between eating his own massive plate.

"Still scary." was the reply from Natasha. "Possible torture technique?"

"No. Just good old-fashioned mothering."

"Aye. Though my Mother has not had to resort to such tactics since I was a small lad."

"That's where you picked up how to avoid the torture?" Clint asked, his eyes wide as he watched Thor tear through the platter of pancakes in front of him.

"Tisn't torture, merely good manners that have to be drilled home on occassion."

"We're adults-"

"Who listened in on a conversation they shouldn't have. Bruce apologized right away." Steve sighed as he finished, picking up the plates and stacking them neatly in the dishwasher. Silence greeted his last remark and stretched until he finally decided to ask JARVIS via wing flicks if he'd start the playlist Steve listened to while doing dishes. He hears the rest of the Avengers sneak off away from the chores, shaking his head.

The Andrew Sisters started off with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, causing him to dance a little as he collected the dishes off the table, rinsing them off and humming along before he just sang out loud.

_"He was a famous man from out Chicago way_  
He had a boogie style that no one else could play   
He was the top man at his craft, but then his number came up and he was gone with the draft.   
He's in the army now, he's blowin' reveille   
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B. 

_They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam_  
It really brought him down because he couldn't jam   
The captain seemed to understand,   
Because the next day the cap went out and drafted the band   
And now the company jumps when he plays reveille   
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B. 

_A toot, a toot, a tootlie-a-da-toot_  
He blows it into the bar in boogie rhythm    
He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar    
Is playin' with him   
He makes the company jumps when he plays reveille   
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B. 

_He was our boogie woogie bugle boy of company B._  
And when he plays his boogie woogie bugle   
He was busy as a busy bee   
And when he played he made the company jump eight to the bar   
He's the boogie Woogie bugle bog of company B. 

_Dada-dada, tootliata-tootdilata toot toot_  
He blows it eight to the bar   
He can't blow a note if the bass and guitar isn't with him   
And the company jumps when he plays reveille   
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B. 

_He puts the boys to sleep with boogie every night_  
And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright   
They clap their hands and stamp their feet,   
'Cause they know how goes when someone gives him a beat   
He really breaks it up when he plays reveille   
He's the boogie Woogie bugle boy of company B.   
Da-da-dada-dada-da-da-da   
And the company jumps when he plays reveille   
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of company B!" Slow clapping that grew steadily louder made him turn around with pink cheeks. The Avengers were giving him incredulous looks as Tony cheered enthusiastically. "... Crap."

"Where'd you learn to _sing_ like that?" Bruce asked after his jaw clicked shut.

"Yeah."

"The Andrews Sisters taught me?" he makes it a question, deliberately skirting the issue as he puts away the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

"When?" He made a face at the ceiling, biting his lip as he closes the panel to start it. "Steve?"

"The USO tours." came his answer as his wings slumped. "We really didn't have much to do besides wait and rehearse when we did that."

"Wait, as in the actual Andrews Sisters?" Clint asks, perched high up on a rafter (Steve has no idea how he got there in such a short span of time nor will he think about it until much later).

"LaVerne, Maxene, Patty and I had a lot of chats. Those dames were real smart when it came to show tips. Patty got a call from me before she died."

"... They're all dead now?"

"Unfortunatly? Yes. They were good friends." He reached into his primary coverts and drew out precisely three feathers; one dark auburn, one deep chocolate brown & one platinum and placed them on the board where he'd pinned the others.

"Why do you take out those feathers when you honor them?" Thor's question is soft in a way he normally isn't, Steve pausing as he pins on the last feather.

"They're representations of those who changed my life in a good way. The feathers grow back in the same place but slightly brighter than before as a new memory is made with them."

Thor beamed at him then clapped his shoulder as he figured out what he intended to do. "You wish to show both past and present with your wings, aye?"

"Wait, you're saying that the feathers you pull out come back brighter? Is that why his is so dull?" Tony looked at the lack-luster sepia toned feather in his minor coverts on the inside of his wing compared to the vibrant feathers next to it (which so happened to be arc-reactor blue barred with argent). "Can you get rid of memories?"

"You mean get rid of a feather without brightening it? I've never tried."

"Well, you could associate him negatively with the feather and replace it with a good memory." Clint said as he did crunches while hanging, "Would that change the color?"

"I suppose it would."

Three days after he'd pulled Howard's feather it grew back in with all the colors of the Avengers banding it, he pinned it in plain sight with the words 'It Worked!' above it on a sticky note.

* * *

He stood at the graves of LaVerne and Maxene, holding flowers as he spoke softly.  
"Hey. It's been a while." The brilliant California air of Forest Lawn Memorial Park worked its magic as he sat next to their plaques. "A really long while. Sorry." A fluttering wind ruffled his feathers and made them shush against each other as if whispering secrets. "I got a bit frozen but I guess I'm a little late for that gig, aren't I?" He placed the two show-girl bouquets below the plaques, shaking his head slowly. "So much has changed, yet I feel the same as I ever did."

"Who are you?"

"An old friend."

"You'd look... older if you were a friend." the woman rose an eyebrow and sarcastically declared as she crossed her arms.

"Steve Rogers." He stood up, folding his wings away faster than the human eye could move. "They never mentioned me?"

"Never that."

"What?"

"The wings. They said you were a charming young man that died tragically before his time."

"... Definitely not dead." This converstation was going from bad to worse.

"Then why are you here?"

"I told you, I'm an old friend."

"Bull."

"I met LaVerne, Maxene and Patty on a USO tour in 1940. We did the Bonds song together. We toured most of Europe until I was called into the war effort. Satisfied?"

"Nicknames?"

"Vee, Pats and Maxi." Steve growled, fed up with the questioning. "Now if you'll excuse me." He pulled the final rose from his jacket and laid it between Vee and Maxi's graves before straightening his stance, stiffly marching away. She followed him but he sped up his steps, flaring his wings open after the third stride & flying away. The wind caressed his hair making him smile slightly at the perfumed wind. In his heart he knew the sisters had gotten his message and that was all that mattered to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, people should tell me to stop. I tried to make this a tribute piece and this mess came tumbling forth. Gah! I promised Steve some fluff too. It's a little fluffy? Hopefully; I should probably stick to writing morning scenes. They seem to come out fluffier than the rest. Tell me what you thought of this, my lovely readers, because I'm not feeling this one. By the way, I feel so welcome here on AO3. That was a kind of a big surprise. You guys are great! 


End file.
